Richard
captured this shot of five birds along his wing. Click on
photo above
to see birds in the
Walker County, Alabama, pen after they arrived there today.Photo
Richard van Heuvelen, Operation
Migration

Hooray!
The pilots' return and good flying weather meant departing Franklin
County Alabama a day earlier than expected! Today's lead pilot
was Brooke,
who
hoped the birds would be eager to fly and keen to follow after
long holiday break. Watching with many other craniacs, Liz reported:
"At first reluctant, breaking off the trike and turning, they rejoined
the
wing as Brooke
zoomed
past to re-take
the lead. After a few moments they reappeared, and with Brooke's
red leading edge gleaming in the early morning sun, headed straight
for us. Three times Brooke circled past us, one of the turns right
overhead, giving those watching below a display
we won't soon forget." A few miles out, 7 broke
off and joined Richard's wing,
and for
a
time
the
leader
of that
pack
was
the
flock's youngest
bird (see photo)!
These gallant birds and pilots knocked off another 53 miles today,
for a total of 755 miles gone.

Looking
AheadFive stopover locations now
remain between Walker County, AL and the staging area in
Jefferson County, FL. At the staging area (gathering area) the team
will split the Class of 2008 into two groups of seven birds each for
the first time in the project's history. They will lead seven to their
new wintering grounds on the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (more
facts and photos soon).

After those 7 birds land at St. Marks, the team will return to the Jefferson
County staging area. They will depart on the next flyable day with the other
7 crane-kids. This group stops in Florida's
Madison and Gilchrist Counties before reaching Marion County and the Arrival
Flyover event at the Dunnellon Airport. That just leaves the final leg of the
migration to land them at Chassahowitzka NWR in Citrus County. The suspense continues
in this history-making year of the reintroduction of Whooping cranes to Eastern
North America.

In
the Classroom:

Today's
Journal Questions:

(a)
In
splitting the birds into two groups
for two wintering areas, the team
is doing something they've never
done before. With 74 adults in
the flock now, they believe it
will be safer for the crane-kids
to have more space and privacy
from the territorial older birds,
who often return to the winter
pen site for free food or to pick
on the youngsters. Write about
a time when you did something for
the first time. How did you feel
about the results?

(b-for-bonus)In
years 2001-2007 the team
completed the second half
of the migration in as
few as 11 days and as many
as 42, but this year takes
them on a new route. Based
on the list of remaining
stopovers, how many days
of perfect flying weather
would it take for the St.
Marks group could arrive
if they covered one stopover
a day?